6 Bollywood Actresses Who Had Connections With Criminals
Posted On: 26 Jul 2021 | Last Updated : 08 Mar 2022 | Views : 3.5k
We have often witnessed in our Bollywood films where most of our villains have a seductive moll beside them who would be his live-in partner while keeping him amused throughout the film. She’d also do an item song before finally becoming a casualty. There’s no doubt that Bollywood had an underworld connection for many years where reportedly some actresses got involved with real-life criminals in order to bag roles in big banner films or lead a life as their muses. A few known B-town beauties in the past have been alleged to have affairs with underworld dons that were written, heard, and discussed. Bollywood actresses' linkups with underworld or the mafia are not new while most of these proved to be true often leading them into trouble. Here is a list of six known actresses who got into trouble for having connections with real-life criminals.
1. Sona & Haji Mastan Ali Mirza
If you’ve been an ardent Bollywood fan of the 70s then lesser-known actress Sona may be a familiar face to you who is remembered for being a Madhubala lookalike. Sona who started off as a child artist and went on to play lead and supporting roles in films like Kuchhe Dhaage (1973), Bewee Keraye Kee (1975), Noor-E-Elahi (1976), Raakhi Aur Rifle (1976), Kasam Durga Ki (1982), Kaise Kaise Log (1983), and Aadamkhor (1986) married noted Mumbai gangster Haji Mastan. Haji Mastan who was known for his criminal activities was often spotted with movie stars. Haji has the dubious distinction of being the first real-life gangster to marry a Bollywood star and the only reason for getting married to Sona was her uncanny resemblance to late actress Madhubala whom the former was a big fan of Haji Mastan Mirza died in 1994 while Sona died in 2014. This was probably the first time where a case of Bollywood actresses connections with real-life criminals came to light.
2. Heena Kausar & Iqbal Mirchi
The relation between film stars and criminals is not portrayed only on screen but also existed in real life. Another actress who didn’t just fall in love with a criminal in real life but married him too was Heena Kausar. Daughter of yesteryear producer-director K. Asif and actress Nigar Sultana, Heena Kausar who appeared in movies such as Holi Ayee Re (1970), Jeet (1972), Dost (1974), Nagin (1976), Adaalat (1977), and Parvarish (1977), etc., was married to the noted underworld gangster, Iqbal Mirchi. Iqbal Mirchi who was a close associate of India’s most wanted criminal, Dawood Ibrahim, married Heena Kausar in 1991. Iqbal Mirchi who was already married to Hajira Memon and had two sons from her decided to have Heena as his second wife and lived in the United Kingdom till he breathed his last in 2013.
3. Mandakini & Dawood Ibrahim
Mandakini, the actress who made her big debut in Raj Kapoor’s 1985 hit Ram Teri Ganga Maili was arguably one of the top actresses of the 80s and had several film releases in the form of Jaal (1986), Jeeva (1986), Loha (1987), Dance Dance (1987), Commando (1988), Aakhri Baazi (1989) and Pyar Ke Naam Qurbaan (1990). She suddenly faded away from Bollywood after 1990 and reportedly was seen with dreaded gangster Dawood Ibrahim in a few photographs which began circulate then in the media. It was also reported that she got most of her roles due to her links with Dawood Ibrahim. There were reports of her being Dawood's mistress who allegedly had moved to Dubai to stay with him. After Dawood turned fugitive, it was believed that she returned to India and married former Buddhist monk, Dr. Kagyur T. Rinpoche Thakur. She currently runs classes in Tibetan yoga.
4. Monica Bedi & Abu Salem
Think about Bollywood actresses' affairs with underworld or Bollywood actresses who lived with criminals, Monica Bedi’s name straightaway pops up in our mind. The Bollywood actress who debuted in 1995 opposite Saif Ali Khan in Surakshaa went on to do films like Khilona, Jeeo Shaan Se, Jodi No.1, and Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat before meeting dreaded criminal and gangster Abu Salem. Monica, who reportedly received acting offers due to Abu’s Bollywood connection couldn’t make it big as a heroine. She later married Abu Salem and got converted to Islam and changed her name to Fauzia in Dubai. She was detained by the police in Lisbon along with Abu for acquiring two sets of passports from Bhopal and Hyderabad. She was sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment for possessing forged travel documents. Post-release she broke all ties with Abu Salem and tried making a comeback to films but didn’t find any takers.
5. Mamta Kulkarni & Vicky Goswami
Mamta Kulkarni, the glamourous and ravishing actress of the 90s who made her acting debut in Mera Dil Tere Liye in 1991 and appeared in hit films like Aashiq Awara (1993), Waqt Hamara Hai (1993), Krantiveer (1994), Karan Arjun (1995), Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995), Baazi (1996), China Gate (1998), etc., suddenly disappeared from the scene. It was later reported that she got involved with businessman Vicky Goswami and had a serious love affair before marrying him and getting arrested in Dubai for drug trafficking in the USA. Later, she was also found to be guilty of being involved in an international drug racket along with her husband. The last one got to hear about her was that she had converted to Islam.
6. Anita Ayoob & Dawood Ibrahim
Pakistani actress Anita Ayoob who was discovered by actor-producer Dev Anand as a beauty pageant contestant was given a break in his film Pyar Ka Taraana in 1993. Though Anita appeared in only two Hindi films, the other being Gangster (1995), she vanished from the scene as she was said to have become a close associate of underworld criminal Dawood Ibrahim. Bollywood actress's connections with real-life criminals reached their peak when it was reported that Dawood in order to get her more films in Bollywood shot dead a producer by the name of Javed Siddique in 1995 who allegedly refused to take a Pakistani actress in a Hindi film.
